Jumbo Broccoli

Just read a research finding in Parents mag that when kids were served larger portions of veggies, they ate more veggies. Maybe that's why a jumbo portion of broccoli went over so well in my house recently.

I had cut off small portions for each of my kids. Then they saw the gigantic piece left on the serving plate. My son asked for it. I thought, why not? Looks fun. And it was. Both kids ended up eating giant pieces of broccoli, and ate more than I've ever seen them eat before. Cool!

Plate Facials

Always trying to make mealtime enjoyable for my oft reluctant toddler. This meal was composed, literally, of grilled chicken and squash (very easy way to prep squash, by the way -- slice and plop on the grill!), and cornbread squares for eyes. It kind of worked. Lots of eyes were eaten that night. And it was fun to ask if anyone wanted more noses or lips.

Instant Fondue

Dried apricot + jar of Nutella.
Viola!

Fish Tacos

We love Mexican food this time of year. Fresh limes, spices, and simplicity are great when the weather is hot and you want to spend less time in the kitchen.

Made a nice batch of fish tacos tonight from the cookbook Simply Mexican. It's going on my wish list based on reader reviews (e.g. authentic, not ingredient-intensive, easy family meals) and how well the recipe came together. Certainly not based on the cover photo. I'll include this as a menu item in next weeks' list.

Margarita, anyone?

Week 4-Three meals "no silverware required"

Mon – Sloppy joes (good one to double)
Tues – Rotisserie chicken ($6 every Tuesday at my local Whole Foods.)
Weds – Tomato quiche (recipe here: taste of home quiche)
Thurs – Stir fry beef
Fri – Oven fried chicken fingers (great recipe here: epicurious chicken fingers
I substitute Ital bread crumbs for the corn flakes and serve with honey. We all love these.)
Alts – Chip plate (like a taco on a bed of chips—easier for little kids to manage than a full shell/tortilla)
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Easy enough, except for that quiche which I love, but takes 2 steps to cook (crust/inside). We'll see how the week shapes up. Happy cooking.